Chapter 11
Mount Justice
Around the Cave, various members of the Justice League were helping to reassemble the head quarters and reset the security protocols.
Green Arrow walked over to the table with a bowl of nuts. "Here," he said, putting the bowl on the table, "Eat up."
"Thanks," Wally signed, "But no thanks."
"Yeah," agreed Robin, "We don't want food, we want answers! What happened with Tornado and his siblings?"
"Eaxctly!" Wally added. Green Arrow shrugged and moved to take the bowl back, but Wally snatched it out of his hands and began to inhale the nuts.
Towards the far end of the cave, Draken is seen massaging his head while being approached by both Diana and Batman.
"How are you feeling?" Diana asked
"Tired." Draken answered. "And thirsty. Besides that I think I'll live."
"Good, because we need to talk." Batman said. "How long have you have been aware of the possibility of a mole in your team? And yes, Wonder Woman has informed me"
"About a month now." Draken said
Batman's eyes narrowed. "So you've been aware of the potential of an inside threat for a month now and decided not to tell your team or the League?"
"There was a reason for that," Draken said, "The sources for my intel were-" He was cut off by a massive hand wrapping around his throat.
Conner shoved him against the cave wall and Draken grunted. "You knew?!" roared the clone.
"Can today get anymore worse?" Draken thought dryly
"That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann…us!" Conner raged.
"Conner!" M'gann flew up and swooped towards them, "What are you doing?"
"Draken knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!"
The team stood up from the table and stared incredulously at Draken. "You knew?" Robin asked, "And didn't tell us?"
"Conner, can please let go?" Draken asked, causing Conner to reluctantly drop his leader from the wall. "Thank you."
"You didn't answer his question." Conner snapped
"I was merely looking out for the Team." Draken said
"Looking out for us?" Artemis shouted, "By withholding knowledge that would have saved our lives?"
"Like dude, where's the trust?" Wally demanded.
"Enough." Batman said, getting everyones attention
"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Diana asked
"With Red Tornado…missing," Batman continued ignoring her, "The team will now be overseen by a rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."
The Leagues Thunderer flew out of one of the hallways. "Hi guys," he said with a wave, "I'm really looking forwards to working with you." The team exchanged glances, clearly unimpressed with the new setup.
Conner leaned over and draped his arm over Draken's shoulders. "After I dismantle Red Tornado," he hissed, "The two of us are gonna-"
"Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League," interrupted Batman, "That makes him a League responsibility. You will leave him to us." He took a step back and brought up the hologram screens. "I have another assignment for this team."
A series of headlines flashed on the screen and Wally snorted. "'Gotham Mayor Attacked by Guerilla Gorilla?'" he read aloud.
" Was this the only thing he could find for us?" Conner asked through M'gann's psychic link.
"Batman, please!" Robin asked, "Tell me your not sending us on this joke of a mission."
"I never joke," Batman said, "I've checked the sources, studied the patterns, this is only the latest in a series of incidents. Draken, you'll take your team to India to investigate."
Draken motioned for the team to get ready for departure. As he passed them, Wally snorted under his breath. "'Your team'. Yeah right."
"Draken?" Kaldur walked up behind him, "I sorry for the behavior of the others."
"There's no need for you to apologize." Draken said as they walked into the hangar
Captain Marvel flew up behind them and dropped to the ground as he walked into the Bioship. "You're coming with us?" Robin asked as he and Wally walked out of another hallway.
"Sure, we'll have a blast!" Captain Marvel said eagerly as he stepped inside.
Robin scoffed and folded his arms. "Translation: he blames us for the Red fiasco. Doesn't trust us."
Wally glanced back at Draken as he and Robin stepped into the Bioship. "Big club."
Draken sighed as he and Kaldur climbed in as well. The following hours were spent in silence as the ship flew towards India. Nothing was exchanged except for angry glances at Draken and a sympathetic look from Kaldur. Only Captain Marvel seemed oblivious to the tension on the ship and would occasionally make small talk with individual members of the team.
Finally, M'gann cleared her throat. "Approaching Batman's coordinates," she announced. A hole formed in the floor of the ship and Robin and Artemis hopped out, their weapons ready in case of an attack. When they had secured the area, M'gann landed the ship and the rest of the team walked out.
"Switch to stealth," Draken said, "Let's go over a plan."
"Plan?" Wally sneered as he tapped his emblem and his suit morphed to black, "We don't need no stinking plans."
"It's recon," muttered Robin angrily as he turned away, "We know what to do." Robin ran off into the jungle with Wally behind him.
"Kid, Robin!" Kaldur called, but Robin swiveled and scolded him before he could continue.
"We started this team because the League was keeping secrets from us!" he hissed.
"Or did you forget that?" Wally asked as he lowered his goggles over his eyes and ran into the shadows with Robin.
Draken sighed. "The rest of us will have to make do. Ms. Martian and Artemis could-"
"Save it," snapped Artemis, "If you don't trust us, we don't trust you." She stormed off into the jungle. M'gann flew after her and spared a glance back at Draken before disappearing into the foliage.
"Why didn't you stop them?!" demanded Conner, "You're supposed to be in charge!"
"It's a little hard to lead when the entire team is against me." Draken said dryly, resulting in Conner rolling his eyes and shoved his palm in Draken's face before launching himself into the night sky.
Draken glared after him as Kaldur and Captain Marvel walked up behind him. "Um, I'm sorry," said Captain Marvel, "Did I miss the part where you told us the plan?"
Draken sighed and started walking off into the jungle. "How did we end up like this?"
"If it is any consolation," said Kaldur, "I doubt I would have done things differently. Your logic was sound; it only succumbed to human error."
"What are we looking for, anyway?" asked Captain Marvel.
"A sign of a struggle," Kaldur said, "That would mark unusual animal activity."
"Oh, so like that over there?" Draken glanced to where the Captain was pointing. A few yards over was a large clearing. Clearly, large tufts of grass had been uprooted violently and clawed tracks marred the ground.
"This must be where Mayor Hill was attacked," said Kaldur as he knelt down to examine the tracks.
"Then at least we can confirm his story," agreed Captain Marvel, "Right, Dracula?" Draken was gazing into the forest. "Dracula?"
"Get ready," Draken said aloud, "We're under attack!" Kaldur and Captain Marvel quickly stood with him as the ground began to shake under massive footsteps. A thicket of trees on the far side of the clearing split apart as a massive, grey beast tore through it. It had tusks the size of steel beams and a trunk that hung down to its knees. Small horns poked out of its head, a good twenty feet off the ground. Its muscles were defined and sinew bulged under its skin to the point of tearing it. The beast trumpeted loudly as it charged and the three heroes scattered as it blew by them.
"That," said Captain Marvel as he flew up into the air, "Is one big elephant."
"That can't be natural," Draken observed, his eye narrowing, "Must be genetically modified."
"It looks like it has been infused with the Kobra Venom from Santa Prisca," noted Kaldur as he drew his water bearers. The elephant circled around and charged once more. Captain Marvel flew at it head on, ramming into its thick skull. The beast grabbed him with its trunk and tossed him through a tree with ease.
"Aqualad!" Draken called as he flew to the side of the beast, "Maneuver seventeen!" Kaldur nodded and Draken flew up, manifesting a giant Sigil Infront of Kaldur. Kaldur made long water whips with his bearers and tossed it into the sigil. As the water passed the Sigil, it turned into a giant water tsunami, which slammed against the elephant and knocked it on its side with a painful trumpet.
"What's that?" asked Kaldur, pointing to the animal's neck. Draken looked over as he saw the sparking metal around its throat.
"Collars!" he said, "The same kind they used at Belle Reve! These things are being controlled!" There was a roar and they turned to see Captain Marvel grappling with the tusks of another massive elephant. There was a loud snort and the elephant they were fighting slowly got back up. "Go help the Captain!" Draken said as he flew towards the collar. "I got this one!" Kaldur nodded and rushed to aid Marvel
Draken wasted to time in ripping off the metal choker. Once he was done, he flew off the Elephant, the broken collar lying in pieces on the ground. The elephant gazed down at him in appreciative confusion. It slowly sauntered off back into the jungle, quickly joined by its brother. Kaldur and Captain Marvel walked up behind Draken as they watched them leave. "Any trouble?" he asked.
"None," replied Kaldur, "But the collars indicate an intelligence behind this attack. The rest of the team may also be at risk."
"Agreed," nodded Draken, "This is no longer a simple recon mission." He brought a finger to his ear and activated his communicator. "Team? Come in." A harsh burst of static filled his ear and he winced as he killed the line. "Comms are down," he grunted, "And Ms. Martian didn't link us up before she left."
"Actually," Captain Marvel raised an eyebrow and smirked, "You let everyone leave before communications were set."
"They wouldn't listen." Draken said, "How am I supposed to lead people who don't want me as their leader?"
"I don't know," shrugged Captain Marvel, "But back at the Cave, Batman stopped everyone from arguing with one word."
"I'm not Batman."
"Batman takes command," Kaldur pointed out, "He has too, for the good of the League."
Draken stayed silent for moment before telepathically reaching out to M'gann. As fate may have it, she didn't fight off his advance
" Dracula?" M'gann asked
" Ms. Maritan, where are you?"
" North. Artemis and I were attacked by animals wearing inhibitor collars."
"Cool! A tiger!" Draken turned to see Captain Marvel float into the air and give him a wide grin, "I'll be right back!"
"Captain, wait!" Draken hissed as the hero shot off into a field of tall grass.
"He has the speed of Mercury," said Kaldur solemnly, "We have no chance of catching him."
"Doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Draken muttered under his breath as he flew off, Kaldur following him closely. " Ms. Martian, link up the team. Now."
" Link established," confirmed M'gann.
" Should he really still be giving us orders?" complained Artemis, " And should you really be following them?"
Draken grunted as he vaulted over a boulder, " Listen, I-"
" Oh, Draken's voice in my head," Wally butted in, " I soooo missed that."
" Draken, K.F. and I were attacked by giant vultures," Robin reported, " 'Course since we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves."
" Please," Kaldur pleaded, " Let us focus on the matters at hand."
" Superboy, you online, or are you just pouting?" called M'gann.
" Later," replied Conner tersely, " Busy now."
" What get's me is how nonchalant they are," ranted Wally.
" They should totally be chalant," agreed Robin. Draken rolled his eyes as he brushed aside a large palm frond and entered a clearing. In the middle, three metal stakes protruded from the earth, each cackling with electricity. Captian Marvel was nowhere to be seen, but distinctive drag marks showed where his body had been carried off into the jungle. Kaldur examined the metal spikes as the rest of the team continued to debate across their mental link.
" How can we trust him to lead us if he doesn't even trust us with his secrets?" Draken's eye narrowed.
" Did he really think you or I could have been the mole? We've been heroes for years!"
" None of us would've kept it a secret."
" I think it's safe to say that this team-"
" Enough!" Draken's mental voice split into their minds of everyone, shutting them up " In case you forgot, I never wanted to lead this team in the first place! You elected me to be in charge and I have done everything in my power to keep this team safe. You disagree with my methods? Fine. You want me to step down? Even better. But right now, we are on a mission and Captain Marvel just got himself captured. So, until further notice, I am you leader."
" After all that's happened?" scoffed Wally, " I don't think-"
" I'm sorry," Draken interrupted, " You seem to be under the impression that I'm giving you a choice in the matter. Any more stupid comments before we get it together and act like a team again?" Silence reigned supreme and Draken hummed in satisfaction. " Good. Rendezvous with Kaldur's GPS signal. We'll track down the Captain, you track down us. Got it?"
There were affirmative answers across the board and Draken started to follow the tracks. Kaldur smiled with a broad smile.
It took about ten minutes to follow the tracks to a thinly veiled metal compound in the middle of the jungle. Draken and Kaldur waited patiently for the rest of the team to arrive and formulate a quick plan as they hid in the foliage a distance away from the base.
" I'll fly over," offered M'gann as she entered camouflage mode.
" Negatory," said Wally quickly, " Goggles are showing an electro-magnetic dome over the whole compound."
" A solid electric shock could cause a momentary gap," Robin calculated.
" I see a target," reported Artemis, " Fuse box right by the main door. If someone could cut the right wires, the whole compound could go dark."
Kaldur slid down to the base of the dome and activated his mystic tattoos. He grabbed the dome and ripped it, electricity spiraling up and down his arms. " Now!" called Wally and Artemis loosed her arrow.
" Need to know which wires to cut?" Wally said.
" Nah," Robin said as he drew a Batarang " I got this covered." Within seconds he slashed through the right wires. " We're clear".
The team quickly and silently raced across the clearing towards the compound. Suddenly, there was a wild screech and everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Robin pointed above the compound. "Monkey!" Indeed, a solitary ape glared down at the team, a collar wrapped tightly around its neck as it screeched to the heavens. An alarm went off within the compound and a swarm of baboons began to clamber over the roof with angry cries and bared teeth.
"Remove the collars!" ordered Draken as he grabbed two monkeys by the tail and threw them across the clearing.
"You make it sound so easy!" grunted Robin as he fought off two more. The team dove through the herd of baboons, ripping and tearing away the metal bracers.
The Team then entered a large, dark room where Captain Marvel was strapped to an operating table with a collar around his neck. Near him was a droid of sorts. It looked like a high-tech trashcan with a brain poking out of the top.
Wally gasped. "It's the Brain!"
"No duh!" said Artemis as she drew an arrow
"In ze flesh," the trashcan slid forward over the ground as a Massive gorilla dressed like Rambo stood behind him, "So to speak." The voice was thick with a French accent, but metallic and somewhat monotonous.
" Superboy! Now!" Draken said telepathically, as the wall behind the Brain imploded with a burst of dust and rubble. As the dust cleared, Conner stepped through the new hole. His shirt was ripped and he stood in front of a small pack of massive, enhanced wolves. A particularly large white wolf crouched next to him, his fangs bared.
The wolves fell on the gorilla, their teeth mashing. Brain backed up and began firing lasers from his metallic body. Kaldur and Conner leapt in front of the others to guard them while Wally freed Captain Marvel. Robin and Artemis jumped over Conner and shot their respective projectiles into the backs of the gorilla. It suddenly convulsed with electricity and fell to the ground in pain. The Brain backed up between them as the Gorilla struggled to it's feet. The wolf pack stepped back, but growled in rage at their enemies.
The Gorilla roared in pain and anger as he saw he was surrounded. "Try it," challenged Conner, cracking his knuckles, "I hate monkeys."
"Gorillas aren't monkeys." Draken said, as he floated next to Conner
"Same thing."
"No," sighed the Brain with a rush of static, "Zis vill not be our vaterloo." Lights began to flash all over his body and various panels unfurled from it. A humming sound filled the air and it grew in intensity as the Gorilla moved closer to the Brain.
"Get down!" shouted Wally as the humming reached its peak, while Draken managed to erupt a force field around the team
" Au revoir, mes amis," said the Brain as all of the lights abruptly shut off. Nothing happened for a moment until the emergency lights kicked in, revealing nothing where the brain and his gorilla henchman had just stood.
"Wait," Wally stood up, "That huge weapon thing was…a light switch?"
"So it seems."
Later
M'gann called the Bioship to the compound so they didn't have to walk far. Captain Marvel was speaking with a tiger. "So there are no more collars?" The tiger growled in response. "And I can count on you to keep the other animals out of trouble?" The tiger roared, as if upset the Captain doubted his abilities. "Good," said the captain, "I'll be back for a visit, I promise." He stood up and the tiger walked into the forest. "I think I'll call him Mr. Twany," said the Captain wistfully.
"The rest of the pack is gone," said Conner as the wolf tucked his head into the clone's shoulder, "So why is this one sticking around?"
"I think he likes you," said Wally. He attempted to pat the wolf, but he swiveled his head and growled threateningly at the speedster.
"Can I keep him?" asked Conner eagerly.
Draken shrugged. "Do as you like, it's not like I can stop you."
"Look, I have to know," he said, "Why did you keep the mole intel a secret?" The clearing became hushed as all eyes turned to Draken.
"The mole source was from Sportsmaster." Draken said
"What?!"Artemis exclaimed, "You can't trust him!"
"I didn't," said Draken dryly, "I thought it was probably just a ploy to divide the team."
"Given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded," muttered Robin.
"Still, why did you withhold the information from us?" demanded Conner.
"Because if you knew there was a mole on the team, you will all start suspecting each other and thus would jeopardize our cohesiveness." Draken said
"So you really were just looking out for us," said Artemis, "I hate to say it guys, but that makes sense."
"Now that you know, I'm ready to step down," Draken said
There was a brief pause before Wally piped up. "All in favor of keeping Draken as our leader?"
The entire team lifted their hands in support. "Regardless of your decision to keep me as team leader, I'm afraid I won't be active for a while," Draken muttered as they filed into the Bioship
"Why?" Wally asked
"In the space of twelve hours, I have had to fight Wonder Woman and two Androids without missing a beat. I need at least two days sleep in a coffin." Draken said, causing the group to laugh at his frustration.